30 August 2022 | Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing
After being claimed from a race in Victoria in July, Rocknroll Hanover gelding Diamonds N Cash recorded his first win for his new connections in Launceston on Sunday night.
The Ben Yole-trained pacer had been contesting discretionary handicaps and open class mobile events, but the seven-year-old gelding found himself back into a rating 75 to 105 event on Sunday.
Reinsman Mark Yole wasted no time early, working forward from a second-row draw to find the spot outside the leader at the mile, and controlled the race from that point.
“It was good tonight to dictate the race and get the prize.
“I just gave the reins to Mark and said to drive him like he is the best horse in the race, as last time he was in that race he just got beat.
“He drove him well and summed the race up early and was too strong at the finish,” explained Ben post-race.
Diamonds N Cash, a multiple metropolitan class winner, has won over $100,000 from 69 starts and is a half-relation to Diamonds N Furs, who contested two Inter Dominion series.
“We have got a good opinion of him, but he hasn’t had much go his way since being in Tassie, said Yole.
The trainer indicated that the pacer will be aimed at Saturday nights $20,000 Metropolitan pop-up in Hobart which is a mobile start event.
“He will run in it, that’s what we brought him for, it’s going to be a bit harder racing all those good ones with no handicap, but we will go there and see how we go,” said Ben.
Ben ended the night with a training quartet with To The Lookout, True Stepper and Velocity Stride.
While Mark also had success on the card, with Buster William winning his first race since March 2019 with Kayleb Williams in the sulky.
The Ben Richardson-trained Royal Reactor booked his spot in the $20,000 Trainer Encouragement Spring Series after taking out the second heat, courtesy of a lovely drive by Mitch Ford.
Another impressive winner on the Launceston card was the Kristy Butler-trained Alta Cassino, who recorded a winning hat-trick with a 13.7m win, with Rohan Hillier in the sulky.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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